Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-03
BRAHMINISM.
IErLuKEcs OF THE ARROGANT ARts-
focRArs OF INDIA.
Arbi,rsry Caste Regulations a Bar 10 In
telisctual and Moral Progress
Ein6oo Womea.

Indian Government service, was sent
With many others 10 South India 70
supcrintend the relief operations which
had TO be undertaken in consequence OF
the famine. and from the nature of my
duties was compelled to mingle with
all classes OF that suffering population
from. the servile Sndra to the benign
Brthma-- and was thus enabled to
get n fair insight into their life
and character. Southern India shows
Tie extraordinary influence which is
vic dcd by this priestly class, the awful
vencration in which the Brahmin is
held by the lower castcs In Northern
India the Prahmin, though powerful
factor ia the economy OF affairs, is
not the dreaded autocrat that he is
in South India, where his power
has not been broken by the irrup-
ten Of Nohamme1an conquerors from
Atghanisian and beyond. Here his
women have not TO be voile1 through
The fear that their beauty might excite
the lest Of the conquerors protected by
~; English and pampered by them
The Trahmins OF to-day differ but
slightly from the Brahmins of the TING
when Asoka reared his uRl,,, monument
in the snot row surrounded by the rail-
way work shops Of the East Indian rail-
way at Allahabad.
1t was with the view Of briefly de-
scribing some of tho marked charac-
teIisiics Of the southern Brahmins as
,xomplified in the two great castles OF
Nishnu and SILVA that this article is
FL, e =. Il
in every respect, but Notwithstanding
Tier perfect equality the law orders
that they shall have nothing in com
mon, going so far that Vishnu cannot
eat with SILVA without total loss Of
caste. in Pr0hmiDism the trinity is
Bruma, Vishnu, and Shiva--the first
Me creator, the second the preserver,
and tie third the destroyer. Now all
Brahmins worship Bruma, bnt the
Vishnuitcs and Shivtes also worship
their particular deity and direct no
prayers to the opponent OF their god.
Naturally spirit of rivalry arises from
this cause-a rivalry which displays |
itself on every occasion, and forces |
itself not alone into the concerns OF |
daily life, but hampers the public SER
vice
To study Brnhminism. its mysticism, |
its almost fatal influence either on its |
devotecs or upon those wreathed people |
who are not of that faith and who |
rom that unfortunate circumstance are |
according TO the Brahminical theory |
10 better than dogs, one must go to |
South lDdia. There one viii learn that |
the Frahmin is an autocratic aristOcrat, |
and that neither merit. nor wealth, nor
bravery, nor talent can place any man
not Eralimin on the same pedestal on
which crOuches the meanest-natured |
man Of his divine origin. Andwhether
he lie Nlshnu or SILVA the Brahmin is
an autocrat One recognizes that what
ever may he his other qualities the
Bralmin is n gcntleman--a cultured
and intellectual man of the world, who
recognizes none as his superior and
r. AZ many as his inferior. The Brah-
min y a striking example of the SUI
pcriolity supposed to be due to the
accident of birth, and the further
south one travels in India the more
marked is this. In TanjaZe, which
Is termed tie garden of India, Mad
dina, and Tinnevelly does the Brahmin
most repay study. Here under their
vast groves the Brahmin seems not to
have heard through the dense forest
the hustle of an enterprising world.
His world is vet the tiny nd-swept
village, with its schoolhCuse where the
pupil learns by roe Brahminical nom
sense ndpeculiar English phraseology,
for the Brslhmin knows that unless he
learns English there is no chance for
him to wear the Government livery,
which alike to European and native is
the highest aspiration.
But Notwithstanding that the Brah
min specifically seems to be so AFRO
CANT and as narrow-minded now as i'll
the days when the world was young,
there has been going on within the past
twelve years q silent revolution, whose
importance is yet but little understood
and imperiectly appreciated. The
Tamil youth, as the inhabitsnt of South
India is called, is anxious forintellectual
advancement. He knows that in Com
baconum. which is termed the Cam
bridge of India. that to be versed IN
the doctrines of his fathers is not all that
is required of scholar. and so, after
porieoting himself IN those ancient
branches of learning, lie cheerfully be-
takes himself to the ST. Joseph Catholic
Seminary at Negapatam. which has
sent many Students to Rome who have
passed with high honors in theology
Ms well as i'll several European
languages. The Tamil Brahmin Is
undoubtedly the representative Brah-
min, and is far superior to the Telugu
Erahmn, who lives in the northern por-
ton Of the Madras presidency. The
Telugu people, as a general rule, are
more superstitlous than the Tamil peo-
ple. and consequently fewer take the
Advantage of an English education,
but, when they do, are noted for their
perseverance.
lie way in which to distinguish the
devotecs Of Vishnu and SILVA is not
difficult. for men of Vishnu Wear on
their foreheads mark similar to this
4. while those of SILVA carry in the
centre of their foreheads a round scan
dal-wood dct, which is used by Hin
doA,an women for the same purpose as
are the tiny black sticking-plaster dots
mon tie fair faces OF our ladies',
called beauty.spots. The Nishnu-
ties and Sbiyites also carry DIS
tinetiun in their names. The former
take the aflix "IenGor" to their
names, while the latter have "lyer.
Not alone this, the characters Of the
two are also different. The lengarS, 1t
is declared, are self-suificient race,
and are noted for their cunning, while
the Iyers are said to be humber,
more ingenious, and more scho-
larly inclined. As the women's names
are never known to the outside
world. and as they carry no
distinguishing marks ON their faces,
thew are known by their dress. A
woman OF the yishnu caste wears the
folds of her paijama tight across her
knees, and thus displays shapely calf
which may be envied by any woman,
though il be hidden by the petticoat.
The SILVA woman, on the contrary, has
a loose fold hanging on one side OF her
right leg below the knee. The material
from which her garment is made is OF a
silky texture, yellowish and red it rs